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26 Jun 2009 11:19 am
Two Ayatollahs
In his prayers sermon this morning, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami (no relation to former president Mohammad Khatami) demanded the death penalty for demonstration leaders, "without mercy." Juan Cole reacts:
This call is a new and dangerous turn, since Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei had praised the opposition leaders and simply urged them to
accept the official results. Ahmad Khatami is close to the hard line
faction of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and is surely voicing the
sentiments of the worst of the Basij and Revolutionary Guards elements
who have attacked the protesters.
On the other hand, in a statement released yesterday, Ayatollah Nasser
Makarem-Shirazi urges "national conciliation." Cole again:
This statement is significant because it constitutes a clear rejection
of the stance of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has declared the
issue settled. You would not need practical reconciliation if the issue
was settled.
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